Canada’s Road to Fed Cup

Fed Cup by BNP Paribas weekend in Montreal promises to be an exciting event in Canadian tennis. Prior to the start of the matches on April 21 and 22, fans can now get to know their Canadian Fed Cup team.

In 2016 and 2017, playing without Eugenie Bouchard—the nation’s top ranked player and former world no. 5—the national squad found new leadership in Françoise Abanda and Bianca Andreescu. Despite their young age, these young players battled hard alongside their teammates to bring the Canadian squad back into World Group II for the first time since February 2016.

April 22-23, 2017 – World Group II play-off

Canada stuns Kazakhstan to rejoin World Group II

Last April, the Canadian team led by Françoise Abanda and Bianca Andreescu surprised Kazakhstan to book their ticket for World Group II, a place they hadn’t competed in since February 2016. Gabriela Dabrowski and Katherine Sebov rounded out the victorious Canadian delegation. Despite facing a higher ranked nation, the Canadian players raised their level of play to cause the upset by a score of 3-2.

After splitting the first two singles matches, Canada dominated the second day of action, with Abanda winning her second singles match, providing Andreescu with the opportunity to close out the tie. The young 17-year-old was up to the challenge and secured the victory for the nation with her 7-6(1), 6-4 victory over Kazakhstan’s number one player.

February 10-11, 2018 – World Group II first round tie

Canada falls to Romania

Coming off their surprise win against Kazakhstan, it was another young team that went into Romania as the underdogs, once again against a more experienced team. Led by Bianca Andreescu, the young Canadian delegation were unable to keep pace with a higher-ranked Romanian team, losing the tie by a score of 3-1. Andreescu and Carol Zhao each dropped their singles match on the opening day, while Katherine Sebov’s loss on day two secured the victory for Romania. The Canadian squad did, however, manage to win the final doubles rubber, led by two-time mixed doubles Grand Slam champion Gabriela Dabrowski.

April 21-22, 2018 – World Group II play-off

Canada will face Ukraine

The young team’s success bodes well for Canada, which can now hope to keep its place among the world elite. But first, it must get past Ukraine, a nation who is favourite to win, especially when their top players are in action.